The West Coast Conference (WCC) is a college sports conference (group of sports teams that play against each other) in the western United States. There are many sports in the conference. The conference does not have football, and only one of its current members has a football team.
The WCC began in 1952 when five schools in and around the San Francisco Bay Area formed the California Basketball Association. The league was then called the West Coast Athletic Conference from 1956 to 1989.
All 10 of its current members were founded by churches. Seven of the colleges are Catholic schools. Pepperdine is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. Two schools were founded by Methodists. One of these, Pacific, remains officially a Methodist school, but no longer gets money from a church. The other, Denver, has always been outside of church control despite its founders' church membership.
The WCC currently has 10 members, all located in West Coast states except Denver.
| School | Location | Founded | Type | Nickname | Joined WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Denver | Denver, Colorado | 1864 | Private Nonsectarian | Pioneers | 2026 |
| Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles, California | 1870 | Private Jesuit/Marymount/St. Joseph | Lions | 1955 |
| University of the Pacific | Stockton, California | 1851 | Private (Methodist) | Tigers | 1952, 2013 |
| Pepperdine University | Malibu, California | 1937 | Private Churches of Christ | Waves | 1955 |
| University of Portland | Portland, Oregon | 1901 | Private Congregation of Holy Cross | Pilots | 1976 |
| Saint Mary's College of California | Moraga, California | 1863 | Private De La Salle Brothers | Gaels | 1952 |
| University of San Diego | San Diego, California | 1949 | Private Diocesan Catholic | Toreros | 1979 |
| University of San Francisco | San Francisco, California | 1855 | Private Jesuit | Dons | 1952 |
| Santa Clara University | Santa Clara, California | 1851 | Private Jesuit | Broncos | 1952 |
| Seattle University | Seattle, Washington | 1891 | Private Jesuit | Redhawks | 1971, 2025 |
Two schools will join the WCC in 2027.
| School | Location | Founded | Type | Nickname | Joining WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) | La Jolla, California | 1960 | Public University of California | Tritons | 2027 |
| University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara) | Isla Vista, California | 1891 | Public University of California | Gauchos | 2027 |
The WCC has seven "associate members". Six play one sport in the conference, and one plays two sports. All are full members of other Division I conferences except Augusta, an NCAA Division II member that fields Division I teams in men's and women's golf. One of the current associates, UC San Diego, will fully join the WCC in July 2027. At the same time, Air Force and San Jose State will move men's water polo to the Big West Conference.
| School | Location | Founded | Type | Joined | Sport(s) | Current main conference | Nickname |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States Air Force Academy (Air Force) | USAF Academy, Colorado | 1954 | Federal | 2023 | Men's water polo | Mountain West | Falcons |
| Augusta University | Augusta, Georgia | 1828 | Public | 2025 | Men's and women's golf | Peach Belt (NCAA Division II) | Jaguars |
| Creighton University | Omaha, Nebraska | 1878 | Private Jesuit | 2010 | Women's rowing | Big East | Bluejays |
| California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State) | Sacramento, California | 1947 | Public | 2024 | Women's rowing | Big West | Hornets |
| San Jose State University | San Jose, California | 1857 | Public (CSU) | 2023 | Men's water polo | Mountain West | Spartans |
| University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | Davis, California | 1905 | Public (UC) | 2026 | Beach volleyball | Mountain West | Aggies |
| Men's water polo | |||||||
| University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) | La Jolla, California | 1960 | Public (UC) | 2026 | Women's rowing | Big West (WCC in 2027) | Tritons |